Expatriates Face Hidden Challenges: How Cultural Training Makes Success

 By Olivier Soumah-Mis Intercultural Coach

Having myself been an expatriate in various countries since childhood, and benefiting from 33 years' experience in preparing, accompanying, training and coaching expatriates, I think I have a pretty deep insight into what expatriates go through.

And the two major challenges facing both expatriates and their companies are to make international mobility managers, i.e. the people who manage expatriates, who in the vast majority of cases have never experienced expatriation, aware of the effort involved in cultural adaptation, and to make multinational head offices aware that their various subsidiaries do not operate according to the same cultural criteria as in the company's home country. I hope this article will help raise awareness.

Here are examples from some of our customers in different countries.

When Maria López, a seasoned marketing executive from Madrid, relocated to Seoul for a high-stakes role, she anticipated a smooth transition. Instead, she found herself paralyzed by unspoken office hierarchies and baffled by colleagues who nodded politely but never voiced disagreements. “I felt like I was failing daily,” she admits. López’s story is not unique. Across industries, expatriates grapple with invisible barriers that go far beyond language—barriers that determine whether they sink or swim in their new roles.

The Unseen Struggles of Expatriation

Expatriation is often sold as a career-defining opportunity. Yet, behind the allure of international assignments lies a grueling reality. New arrivals face a relentless learning curve:

• Daily Survival: Simple tasks—renting an apartment in Tokyo, deciphering grocery labels in Arabic, or navigating Germany’s recycling rules—become exhausting puzzles.
• Social Isolation: Cultural norms, like Germany’s strict work-life boundaries or Japan’s indirect communication, leave many expatriates feeling adrift. “I didn't realize how much informal coffee chats were important for building trust between colleagues” says James Carter, an Australian engineer in Berlin.
• Professional Pitfalls: Misreading local business customs can derail careers. An American manager in Riyadh learned this the hard way after criticizing a colleague’s idea publicly—a move seen as deeply disrespectful in Saudi Arabia’s consensus-driven culture.

Corporate Expectations vs. Cultural Realities

Companies deploy expatriates to drive growth, innovate, and lead global teams. Yet, many fail to equip them for the cultural minefields ahead.

“We expect expatriates to deliver results as if they’re still in their home country,” says Dr. Sophie Müller, an intercultural consultant based in Geneva. “But without understanding how business gets done locally, even top performers struggle.”

Consider these scenarios:

• A French tech director in Mumbai clashes with her team over “flexible” deadlines, unaware that India’s concept of time prioritizes relationship-building over strict schedules.
• A Nigerian executive in Toronto alienates his team by dismissing their input, misinterpreting Canadian collaborative norms as indecisiveness.

“The cost of failure is immense,” notes Müller. “Expatriate assignments can cost up to five times an employee’s annual salary. Yet 20% end early due to poor cultural adaptation.”

The Prepared vs. The Unprepared: A Tale of Two Expatriates

Case 1: The Power of Preparation
When Emma Schmidt, a German fintech leader, was assigned to Shanghai, her company enrolled her in a 12-week cultural training program. She learned the nuances of guanxi (relationship-building), practiced Mandarin phrases for negotiations, and role-played scenarios with a coach.

“The training taught me to listen for ‘yes, but’ responses in meetings—a sign of hesitation in China,” Schmidt explains. Within four months, she secured a partnership with a major local bank. “Without that prep, I’d have bulldozed ahead and failed.”

Case 2: The High Cost of Ignorance
In contrast, Diego Marquez, a Colombian sales director, arrived in Stockholm confident his charisma would win over Swedish clients. He skipped cultural briefings, unaware that Swedes value data-driven pitches over rapport. His first presentation—filled with jokes and personal anecdotes—was met with silence. Six months later, his team’s revenue lagged by 40%. “I felt humiliated,” he says. “I didn’t know what I didn’t understand”.

Why Companies Must Invest in Cultural Agility

Forward-thinking organizations are redefining expatriate support:

• Pre-Departure Training: Intensive workshops on local customs, communication styles, and “cultural code-switching.”
• In-Country Coaching: Real-time guidance for navigating crises, like a Swiss manager in Dubai learning to adjust leadership tactics during Ramadan.
• Family Support: Language classes and spouse career networks to reduce turnover linked to family dissatisfaction.

“The ROI is undeniable,” says Anika Patel, Head of Global Mobility at Horizon Consulting. “Expatriates with cultural training achieve productivity 50% faster and report 30% higher job satisfaction.”

The Bottom Line

Conclusion: Investing in success

Expatriation is not just a job transfer, it's a transformation. Companies that invest in cultural training, language support and intercultural coaching enable expatriates to

- Establish a climate of trust more quickly.

- Avoid costly faux pas.

- Achieve measurable results in half the time.

For expatriates, preparation facilitates the transition from survival mode to self-fulfillment. It transforms culture shock into curiosity, isolation into integration and professional friction into collaboration. The message is clear: cultural competence is not optional - it's the key to unlocking the full potential of international assignments.

For organizations, the choice is simple: prepare your expatriates or pay a high price for their steep, unguided learning curve.

As María López, who was saved in extremis by intercultural coaching in Seoul, sums up: “The training didn't just teach me etiquette. It taught me to see the world differently. That's what saved my mission.